Super Fake Love Song
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • From the New York Times bestselling author of Frankly in Love comes a "sweet and funny" (PopSugar) romantic young adult novel about identity, perception, and how hard it can feel sometimes to simply be yourself.
“The fun of this engrossing read is that underneath the slapstick lies a finely nuanced meditation on how we perform as ourselves.”—The New York Times Book Review
When Sunny Dae—self-proclaimed total nerd—meets Cirrus Soh, he can’t believe how cool and confident she is. So when Cirrus mistakes Sunny’s older brother Gray’s bedroom—with its electric guitars and rock posters—for Sunny’s own, he sort of, kind of, accidentally winds up telling her he’s the front man of a rock band.
Before he knows it, Sunny is knee-deep in the lie: He ropes his best friends into his scheme, begging them to form a fake band with him, and starts wearing Gray’s rock-and-roll castoffs. But no way can he trick this amazing girl into thinking he’s cool, right? Just when Sunny is about to come clean, Cirrus asks to see them play sometime. Gulp.
Now there’s only one thing to do: Fake it till you make it.
Sunny goes all in on the lie, and pretty soon, the strangest things start happening. People are noticing him in the hallways, and he’s going to football games and parties for the first time. He’s feeling more confident in every aspect of his life, and especially with Cirrus, who’s started to become not just his dream girl but also the real deal. Sunny is falling in love. He’s having fun. He’s even becoming a rocker, for real.
But it’s only a matter of time before Sunny’s house of cards starts tumbling down. As his lies begin to catch up with him, Sunny Dae is forced to wonder whether it was all worth it—and if it’s possible to ever truly change.
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Community Reviews
4.25 stars
The feel-good novel the world needs right now! I was a fan of Yoon's debut, Frankly in Love, so his follow-up book was among my most anticipated for 2020. While Super Fake Love Song doesn't quite have the emotional reach of its predecessor, I still found myself smiling, enjoying the light, sweet, gooey fun Yoon delivered. As a hopeless romantic who loves music, it's the perfect combination to keep me turning pages.
Sunny has been the recipient of years of bullying since he moved to the upscale California neighborhood of Rancho Ruby, but ever since he found his best friends, Milo and Jamal (fellow nerds), he’s been content with his nerd status. Until he meets Cirrus Soh. And when Cirrus assumes Sunny’s older (rocker) brother’s room is his—and she thinks it’s ultra cool that he’s in a band—he panics and goes along with it, setting off a series of small lies that snowball, of course.
While much of the plot is predictable, I had fun on the journey. There are lessons to be learned about being happy with yourself, but also about not putting yourself--or others--in a box. Giving yourself and your relationships permission to change and grow.
Sunny's story is not only about his friendships, it's also about his relationship with his brother Gray and their parents, too. Just like a lot of families, they've stopped really looking at each other, assuming things are fine when no one says otherwise. His parents are busy with work, trying their best to keep up with the lifestyle expected in the neighborhood. But it's Sunny and Gray's story that is one of my favorite sub-plots of the book, and I was happy it got the attention it deserved.
I have to mention the adorable cover (created by Timba Smits), as well as the very detailed and colorful map by David Yoon included on the front endpapers. Both are extra fun details.
David Yoon states in the acknowledgments that this was the “fun” novel he needed to write this year, and personally, I think it fulfilled its mission. Yoon has found a permanent place on my must-read authors list.
Thank you to the publisher and Bookishfirst for a finished copy of the novel.
You can find my review at A Book Wanderer
#popsugarfallreadingchallenge2020 (prompt #5)
The feel-good novel the world needs right now! I was a fan of Yoon's debut, Frankly in Love, so his follow-up book was among my most anticipated for 2020. While Super Fake Love Song doesn't quite have the emotional reach of its predecessor, I still found myself smiling, enjoying the light, sweet, gooey fun Yoon delivered. As a hopeless romantic who loves music, it's the perfect combination to keep me turning pages.
Sunny has been the recipient of years of bullying since he moved to the upscale California neighborhood of Rancho Ruby, but ever since he found his best friends, Milo and Jamal (fellow nerds), he’s been content with his nerd status. Until he meets Cirrus Soh. And when Cirrus assumes Sunny’s older (rocker) brother’s room is his—and she thinks it’s ultra cool that he’s in a band—he panics and goes along with it, setting off a series of small lies that snowball, of course.
While much of the plot is predictable, I had fun on the journey. There are lessons to be learned about being happy with yourself, but also about not putting yourself--or others--in a box. Giving yourself and your relationships permission to change and grow.
Sunny's story is not only about his friendships, it's also about his relationship with his brother Gray and their parents, too. Just like a lot of families, they've stopped really looking at each other, assuming things are fine when no one says otherwise. His parents are busy with work, trying their best to keep up with the lifestyle expected in the neighborhood. But it's Sunny and Gray's story that is one of my favorite sub-plots of the book, and I was happy it got the attention it deserved.
I have to mention the adorable cover (created by Timba Smits), as well as the very detailed and colorful map by David Yoon included on the front endpapers. Both are extra fun details.
David Yoon states in the acknowledgments that this was the “fun” novel he needed to write this year, and personally, I think it fulfilled its mission. Yoon has found a permanent place on my must-read authors list.
Thank you to the publisher and Bookishfirst for a finished copy of the novel.
You can find my review at A Book Wanderer
#popsugarfallreadingchallenge2020 (prompt #5)
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